PALMER, AK, USA
N9116D
Piper PA-18
The private pilot was landing in a remote area in a tundra-tire/tail-wheel equipped airplane. He reported that his landing speed was too fast, and after touchdown, he applied heavy braking. The left brake locked, and the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane received damage to the right wing lift strut, both stabilizers, and the right elevator.
On September 7, 1996, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18, N9116D, crashed during landing at a remote area about 23 miles southeast of Palmer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, at 1500. On September 10, 1996, at 1110, the pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) that he was landing on a grass and gravel covered area. The location is about 1/2 mile south of Lake George in the Chugach Mountains. The pilot indicated that he landed too fast and applied heavy braking. The left brake locked and the airplane then ground looped to the left. The airplane received damage to the right wing lift strut, both horizontal stabilizers and the right elevator.
the pilot's improper braking action, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve and subsequent damage to the airplane. His excessive airspeed during landing was a related factor.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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